Saturday, 2 August 2014

Made it.

My friends, D and S, have reached John O'Groats. They havejust rung to say they are back in Windermere, where they live. They didn't know, but D's partner P had arranged for a band which he conducts to be on the platform of the station as they arrived yesterday on the afternoon train from Edinburgh (having flown there from Wick). There was also a welcoming committee of around 50 people to applaud them on their arrival. D has just rung me to say what a lovely surprise it was. He has promised to e mail me some photographs and when they arrive I will post them. Haven't they done well?

The farmer has been to yet another farming funeral this morning. The average age of farmers is quite high - I think in the early sixties. Also, because they do a lot of hard, physical work, they do tend to get very hungry and to maybe eat the wrong food. The farmer for one does not like salad! His favourite foods tend towards sugar, but over the years I have weaned him off them. Today, while he was at the funeral, I made a really attractive salad of lettuce, tomato, beetroot, new potatoes, hard-boiled egg, cucumber - laid in stripes on the plate, scattered with crisply fried lardons and then covered with a dressing of 1 part balsamic vinegar to 2 parts olive oil.He ate it and I said, 'Well?' - he replied, 'Not bad.' Praise indeed.

The farmer who has died was well into his eighties, so he had a good innings - and the Dale turned out to give him a good send off. Farmers up here are very good at doing that. May he rest in peace in one of the most beautiful churchyards in the Dales.

What a lovely warm welcome for your friends after their epic journey.I'm sorry the Farmer has lost another colleague, though he had a good life by the sound of it. Your salad sounds delicious and I am pleased it was appreciated.

my condolences for the loss of your friend, but you're right, a farmer's life and that of his wife are very physical. Not much different here either especially at this time of year - winter when it's calving.